Ford posted its best first half for total vehicle sales and passenger car sales since 2010 and best commercial vehicle sales since 1993 in its 20 traditional European markets.

Ford total vehicle sales in the Euro 20 rose 7.5 percent to 718,700 vehicles in the first half, which equalled a market share of 7.9 percent. Including Russia and Turkey, Ford sales rose 7.2% to 792,800 vehicles in the first six months. Across all of 50 European markets***, Ford vehicles sales increased by 7.1% to 807,500 vehicles in the first half of the year. Market share was flat at 7.7 percent for the first six months of the year.

Key to Ford of Europe’s first half was a strong performance in the private retail segment, success in selling higher-end vehicles and continued commercial vehicle leadership.

“Customers across Europe are buying nicer Fords -- from performance heroes like Mustang and Focus RS, to our new flagship Edge SUV, to more upscale Titanium and Vignale versions of our mainstream vehicles,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe. “Just as importantly, we have become Europe’s commercial vehicle leader with our Transit and Ranger line-up.”

Ford sales in higher value sales channels improved in the first half of 2016, with retail and fleet sales accounting for 74 percent of Ford car sales, 3 percentage points up on last year and 5 percentage points better than the industry average.

Commercial vehicles:

Ford was Europe’s No. 1 commercial vehicle brand in the first six months of the year in both its European 20 traditional markets, and in its Europe 22 market group which further includes Turkey and Russia.

Ford commercial vehicle sales in the first half of 2016 rose 17 percent to 162,500 vehicles, and market share was up by 0.6 percentage points to 13 percent on increased demand for the expanded Transit range and the Ranger pickup. In June, Ford’s CV sales volume was up 18 percent at 29,900 vehicles with a market share of 12.5 percent, up 0.8 percentage points. Sales of the Ranger pickup increased by 39 percent in the first half to record its best since it was launched in 1998.

Transit sales rose 20 percent year-over-year, and retained its position as the No.1 selling nameplate in the combined 1-tonne and 2-tonne CV through to the end of May, the latest data period available.

SUVs:

Kuga had its best-ever first half sales with 63,100 vehicles sold – a 22 percent increase on the same period last year. To date, about 4,600 European customers have ordered a Ford Edge prior to the SUV arriving at their local Ford dealerships this summer. In the compact SUV segment, EcoSport sales rose 64 percent to 30,100 vehicles in the first six months of 2016.

Performance cars:

Combined sales of Ford’s performance line-up – Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Focus ST diesel, Focus RS and Mustang – doubled in June and increased by 116 percent year-to-date. Since last September, 8,200 Focus RS customer orders have been taken and 2,700 units delivered to date. Customer orders for the Ford Mustang now stand at 19,400 since the car was launched in Europe in the third quarter of 2015.

High Specification model sales:

Sales of higher specification Ford models continued to increase in June. Titanium specification models’ sales rose 4 percentage points in Ford’s European 20 traditional markets to 40 percent of total sales. Ford’s high series models – the Titanium models plus other high series models including Vignale, ST, and Red/Black Editions – accounted for 60 percent of Ford’s passenger car sales, up 3 percentage points from June 2015. The latest additions of high specification sporty models, the Fiesta ST-Line, the Focus ST-Line and the Mondeo ST-Line are now available to order for the first time, with further three ST-Line models to follow before the end of the year.

“The second half will be another exciting product story for Ford of Europe,” de Waard said. “With the Edge coming out now, the updated Transit vans with our all-new EcoBlue engine and the new ST-Line, we will continue to surprise customers. We are also excited about the KA+, an entry-priced small car that offers outstanding interior space, fuel efficiency and fun-to-drive dynamics at an affordable price.”

* Ford of Europe reports its sales for the 20 European main markets where it is represented through National Sales Companies. The Euro 20 markets are: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.

** Ford of Europe’s 20 main markets plus Russia and Turkey.

*** The 50 markets include the traditional 20 markets (see above), plus Turkey, Russia, as well as Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Gibraltar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgysztan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Mich. With about 199,000 employees and 67 plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing financing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. At the same time, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the company’s plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience and data and analytics. For more information regarding Ford, its products worldwide or Ford Motor Credit Company, visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Ford of Europe is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 50 individual markets and employs approximately 53,000 employees at its wholly owned facilities and approximately 68,000 people when joint ventures and unconsolidated businesses are included. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 24 manufacturing facilities (16 wholly owned or consolidated joint venture facilities and 8 unconsolidated joint venture facilities). The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911.